Trump nemesis Alex Vindman is now officially a candidate for U.S. Senate
Covering news of interest to Floridians and other informed Americans
When Florida voters go to the polls this fall, we will have the chance to oust Republican Ashley Moody from her appointed U.S. Senate seat. Alex Vindman is considered the frontrunner among Democrats seeking the nomination in the August primary election. Whoever the final nominee is, he or she will need a huge turnout by Democrats and like-minded independents to win. Which is why it is vital that in the upcoming election there are Democrats on the ballot for every contested seat. More on that below.
By Christine Sexton
Calling incumbent Sen. Ashley Moody an “automatic yes vote” for “corruption” and “chaos,” former U.S. Army Lt. Col. Alex Vindman made his bid for the U.S. Senate official Wednesday.
Vindman, a Democrat who out-raised Moody in the first quarter of 2026, turned in his qualifying paperwork in person in Tallahassee, making official the Senate run he first announced in January.
He then addressed the press, announcing he would be a candidate for the people, one who will work to lower the costs of living, and accused Moody of making special interests her priority.
“So, I think this is, this is a motivating factor, especially on the more conservative side of the spectrum. That they have somebody that’ll do the right thing, as I’ve done throughout my career, and that will deliver for Floridians’ interests, not corporate special interests,” he said.
“I think that’s a fundamental message to get across — that there is a fighter in your corner, not a fighter for corporate interests, not a fighter for billionaire class, but a fighter in your corner.”
Vindman’s paperwork comes on the heels of polling that found him competitive with Moody.
The 50-year-old Vindman will have to edge other Democrats in the race to face Moody, including former U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, Jacksonville state Rep. Angie Nixon, and Air Force veteran Tamika Lyles.
While other Democrats could still join the race, Vindman’s entry could potentially earn the Florida Senate contest national exposure.
Emma Hall, Southeast regional communications director for the Republican National Committee, earlier this year attacked Vindman as a “carpetbagger” and “grifter” because he moved to Florida only recently.
Republicans also have gone after Vindman for his role in the first impeachment of President Donald Trump. In late February, the Republican Party of Florida launched a digital ad attacking him for playing a “traitorous” role in that episode.
But Vindman, who emigrated with his father, brothers and grandmother to New York City in 1979 from Ukraine after his mother died, painted stark contrasts between himself and Moody, who served as Florida attorney general between 2019 and 2025. Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed her in 2025 to fill the Senate seat vacated when Marco Rubio became U.S. Secretary of State.
Noting Florida’s high homeowners’ insurance rates, Vindman complained Moody has “given a pass to the big insurance companies.” He criticized Moody stock purchases last year including $250,000 in stock from Eli Lilly, raising questions of insider trading. She sits on the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee.
“How do you think that plays out? She’s happy to engage in stock trades, some $2 million, on insider information that only Congress gets. I think that’s wrong. I think that should be illegal,” he said.
By contrast, Vindman noted that he is an Army combat veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wounds received in 2004 in the Iraq War.
He was director of European Affairs for the U.S. National Security Council when, in October 2019, he came to national attention for his congressional testimony revealing that Trump had asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden while his father was campaigning for president as a condition for military aid against Russia.
Vindman resigned from the military in July 2020. Following that separation, he said, for the first time in his adult life he had a choice of where to live and not just simply move where the military had assigned him.
“My wife and I chose Florida because I was raised in New York. Where else can I go?” he said jokingly. “So, pretty, pretty awesome to be able to raise a family here for the same reason that a lot of us come here — it’s a beautiful place, sunny, warm, lovely.”
Vindman’s twin brother, Eugene “Yevgeny” Vindman, also a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army and also a whistleblower in Trump’s first term, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2024 for Virginia’s 7th District. He is running for re-election in 2026 but this time to represent Virginia’s 1st Congressional District.
The reporter on this story, Christine Sexton , has spent more than 30 years reporting on Florida health care, insurance policy, and state politics and has covered the state’s last six governors. She lives in Tallahassee.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, the nation’s largest state-focused nonprofit news organization. This story is republished with their permission. To support Florida Phoenix, click here:
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Coming Saturday: Miss Mingo Writes Again!
Is it true that Donald Trump has ordered McDonald’s to name a hamburger after him? Miss Mingo has the answer. Coming to your inbox on Saturday.
I am voting for Angie Nixon. Vindman supports Israel and the genocide of Palestinians.
I cannot support someone who denies that Israel is committing genocide. Florida Representative Angie Nixon has a proven record of working for Floridians and never backing down from equality and equity.